There had been no guarantees that Groupe PSA would keep the Vauxhall automotive plant in Luton running after the acquisition of the brand last year. In fact, quite the reverse.

Yet in Luton yesterday the so-called three amigos — Carlos Tavares, PSA’s chief executive, Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, the union, and Greg Clark, the business secretary — lined up to take credit for the decision to invest £100 million in a British plant.

An employee works on a Vauxhall Vivaro at the Luton plantTOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS

The announcement by PSA, the French maker of Peugeot and Citroën cars that acquired the Vauxhall brand from General Motors last year, to increase production of the Vivaro van from 60,000 a year to 100,000 was claimed by the business secretary as a victory for his industrial strategy.

“We want…

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